The present invention relates to the field of electrical switches and more particularly to an electrical switch whose contacts are located within an insulating environmental enclosure, such as a ceramic bottle. One of the contacts may be actuated by a mechanical system located outside of the enclosure connected by a shaft extending through an enclosure seal.
In conventional systems, the base of the switch containing the actuating mechanisms typically forms a ground connection and, unless precautions are taken, high voltage may arc from the switch poles to the actuating mechanism, causing failure or damage. To address this, conventional high voltage switches, such as overhead reclosers, typically utilize an outer insulating shield with a number of radially extending fins for increasing creep and flashover distance on the exterior of the switch housing.